Transcript Texas Master Naturalist™ Program

Texas Master Naturalist™
Program
Sponsored by:
The Mission
“To develop corps of well-trained “Master
Volunteers” to provide education, outreach and
service dedicated toward the beneficial
management of natural areas and resources
within their communities for the State of Texas.”
Program Goals
To develop a statewide Master Naturalist
volunteer network that efficiently and
effectively :
• Improves public understanding of natural resource
ecology and management
• Enhances existing natural resource education and
outreach activities
Program History
• March 1997 – 1st Local Chapter est. in San Antonio
• March 1998 – Statewide program est. through a
TPWD-Texas AgriLife Extension Partnership
• August 1999 – 1st State Program Coordinator
• August 2004 – 1st Assistant Program Coordinator
• 2008 – TMN State Program celebrates 10th year
• 2013 – TMN State Program celebrates 15th year
Present Day
- 44 Chapters
- 300+ Partners
- 177 counties
- Over 70% of Texas
- 8,000 volunteers
- 78 chapter advisors
-TPWD
- AgriLife Extension
What Master Naturalist Volunteers
do for our Sponsoring Agencies
• Assists in addressing our agency missions
• Help to Improve public access to the
outdoors
• Increases support and awareness for
conservation on public and private lands
What Master Naturalist Volunteers
do for our Sponsoring Agencies
• Supports Urban Wildlife Biology and
Natural Resources
• Promotes Conservation Partnerships
• Improves Science and Data Collection
Program Impacts
“Bit by bit builds to bunches…”
• 8,090+ Volunteers have been trained
• 2.077 Million+ hours of community outreach &
service projects--with a value of more than $45
Million to date
• Over 200,000+ youth and adults reached
annually and over 2.5 Million to date
Program Impacts
“Bit by bit builds to bunches…”
• 190,000 acres of habitat enhanced
• Over 1,600 miles of interpretive trails developed or
improved
• 30 National, State and Local Awards
– Including the recent U.S. Dept. of Interior’s “Take Pride in
America” Award and the TAEE “Educator of the Year”
Award
Certification Requirements
• 40 hours of classroom and field instruction
• 8 hours of approved advanced training
• 40 hours of approved service projects
__________________________________
After certification, requires 40 hours volunteer
service and 8 hours advanced training annually
“Basic Training”
40 hours of classroom and field experience:
• Present day and historical naturalists
• Traditional naturalist disciplines
• Land management and land use history
• Ecological concepts
• Ecoregions of Texas
• Management of natural systems
• Interpretation and communication
“Advanced Training”
8 hours of advanced training:
• Focuses on volunteers’ area
of interest
• Is mainly field oriented
• Takes advantage of local
partnerships
• Is directed at specific
programs in need of trained
volunteers
“I’m ‘Legal’ now What?”
Maintaining certification is your responsibility
• Stay involved in your local Chapter meetings and
projects.
• Take advantage of the Advanced Training
offered through your local Chapter partners.
• Keep accurate records
• Don’t cultivate personal biases or agendas
• Use the Texas Master Naturalist title and
certification appropriately
“But I don’t feel like a Master
of Anything…”
What’s in a name?...
• Master ... 2 : to become skilled or
proficient in...*
• Masterful…inclined and usually
competent to act as a master…*
Ferdinand Lindheimer
*SOURCE: The New Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Statewide Annual Meeting
and Advanced Training
October 25-27, 2013
T bar M Conference Center, New Braunfels, TX
Learn more/register on line at: http://txmn.org
Volunteer Service Projects
40 hours of volunteer
service projects that:
• Are self-directed
• Are coordinated by the
local Chapters
• Consist of opportunities
developed by local partners
• Take advantage of
individual skills
Statewide
Projects
• Wildscape maintenance and demo areas
• Construction of interpretive trails
• Interpretive tours
• Brush and exotic plant management
• Fish, wildlife and plant inventories
Statewide
Projects
• Small acreage landowner consultation
• Native plant seed collections & rescues
• Natural resource youth camps
• Habitat restoration
Local Chapter Projects
TMN Volunteers Assist Staff by:
– “Providing outreach that otherwise would not be
done…Providing assistance in taking data, reducing the
cost to agency or enabling research that otherwise could
not be funded”
– “Assisting local landowners with becoming familiar with
the resources they have on hand through their Land
Management Assistance Program”
– “They help with species checklists and monitoring, help
with educating the public, support wildlife conservation
and are willing to help me in any way they can”
What Staff say about the Program
- “Texas Master Naturalists provide high quality
volunteers who are conscientious and reliable…”
-
“A great volunteer base for your state park. This
can include everything from park maintenance to
park interpretive programming…”
What Staff say about the Program
“…Working with the MN’s is my favorite part
of my job! Plus they are making huge
impacts on local natural resources through
restoration and education activities!... Lives
are being changed because of the TMN
program! Working with the MN’s is the
most important thing I have done in my 22
year long career in natural resource
protection and education!”
Awards and Recognition
• Wildlife Management Institute’s President’s Award
• TPWD Lonestar Legends Volunteer Award
• TAMU Vice Chancellor’s Award of Excellence
• TCEQ Environmental Excellence Award
• National Audubon Society Habitat Hero’s Award
Questions?
Michelle Haggerty
Texas Master Naturalist
State Program Coordinator
830-896-2504
[email protected]
http://txmn.org